Study finds ‘alarming’ increase in breast cancer risk after abortion

TIANJIN, China, November 29, 2013 – A new study has emerged from China showing a strong link between abortion and breast cancer, and that a woman’s breast cancer risk appears to rise with each abortion she has.

The research was conducted by Yubei Huang et al. from the Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics in the Tianjin Medical University Cancer Hospital and published in Cancer Causes and Control, a peer-reviewed international cancer journal.

Chinese women have had lower rates of breast cancer compared to women from western countries such as the US, but according to the researchers, breast cancer in China has increased at an “alarming rate” over the past two decades, corresponding with the rise of the Chinese Communist Party’s one-child policy.

This policy is strictly enforced, and pregnant women who already have a child are often forced to abort. As a result, over 336 million babies have been aborted in China since the 1980s.

The researchers reached their conclusions after examining 36 articles (two cohort studies and 34 case-control studies) that investigated the associations between abortion and breast cancer.

Their findings were substantial. The overall risk of developing breast cancer in women who’ve had an abortion was 44% higher than women who have not had an abortion.

They also found that the risk of breast cancer increased as the number of abortions increased.

Two abortions increased a woman’s cancer risk by 76%, three by 89%.

“In summary, the most important implication of this study is that induced abortion (IA) was significantly associated with an increased risk of breast cancer among Chinese females, and the risk of breast cancer increases as the number of IA increases,” concluded the researchers.

The researchers called their findings “consistent” with those of Dr. Joel Brind, who found in a 1996 meta-analysis that women had a 30% greater chance of developing breast cancer after aborting their child.

Dr. Brind, professor of endocrinology at Baruch College, City University of New York and a director at the Breast Cancer Prevention Institute, called these findings a “real game changer” for the Abortion Breast Cancer (ABC) link.

The Chinese study falls in line with two similar studies published earlier this year.

In May, an Indian study found a 6-fold (600%) greater risk of breast cancer for Indian women who have had an induced abortion.

Another study from Bangladesh found that women with a history of induced abortion had a 20-fold (2,000%) increase in likelihood of developing breast cancer when compared to women who have not.

In a report last month, Dr. Brind called these findings “of the sort of magnitude that has typified the link between cigarettes and lung cancer.”

Apparently the connection between abortions and breast cancer has to do with hormones and stem cells.

According to Dr. Jane Orient, estrogen increases by 2,000% by the end of the first trimester, which can increase a woman’s vulnerability for estrogen-fueled cancers. But by the end of pregnancy, 85% of breast-cancer tissue becomes cancer-resistant due to hormones made by the fetal-placenta presence. (WND)

In a 2013 paper published in Cell Stem Cell, researchers found that a full-term pregnancy in a young woman (early 20’s) significantly reduces the number of mammary gland progenitors in her breasts. These are stem cells that have the ability to divide into milk-producing cells, but can also mutate to form rapidly dividing cancer cells.

The stem cell researchers also found that high risk women, like those with the BRCA gene, also have higher-than-average numbers of mammary gland progenitors. But women who carried a child to full term had the lowest populations of mammary gland progenitors, even lower than cancer-free women who had never been pregnant. (Harvard)

A full-term pregnancy protects against breast cancer, but the protection is lost with abortion,
and these women become more vulnerable to breast cancer.

If abortions are causing breast cancers, as these studies indicate, then there should at least be a correlation between the legalization of abortion and an increase in breast cancer rates.

Roe vs Wade legalized abortion in 1973 and over the next three decades, the rate of metastatic breast cancer in American women ages 25-39 nearly doubled, from 1.53 per 100k in 1976, to 2.9 per 100k in 2009. Clearly this is not the only cause of increased breast cancer rates, but it may be a significant factor.

In 2003, a National Cancer Institute study concluded that abortion was not a cause for breast cancer. Since that conclusion, there have been 13 statistically significant studies linking abortion to breast cancer. And as of the writing of this post (December 2013), there have been 73 studies since 1957 evaluating whether or not there is an increased risk of breast cancer for women who have had an abortion. 57 of these studies found a positive correlation, 34 of them were statistically significant.

One more thing I learned while researching for this post…

In 2005, the World Health Organization classified oral contraceptives (the pill) asClass-1 carcinogens, one of only about 100 substances found to directly cause cancer in humans.
A 2009 study found that women under 45 had a 250-420% increased risk of triple negative breast cancer depending on their length of oral contraceptive use.

Comment rules: The comments section is a place to share your thoughts, ask questions, and connect with other people in this community. If you are here to attack and argue, don't bother. Your comment will be deleted.

Alex

Very interesting article, however it’s definitely fuel for anti-choice folks. I still feel women should be able to make that choice for themselves, especially because correlation doesn’t mean causation! There are contributing factors across the board, and MANY things have changed since 1973 regarding our food supply, technology, habits, etc. Take home message: Try not to get knocked up if you don’t plan on having a baby!

daisy

Thank you Chris for posting this article. Abortion is a medical procedure and lots of woman don’t how much this will affect their health later. Blessings.

susan

Ok Chris,

Generally I am very interested in natural healing, but this study on abortion and breast cancer risks is total bullshit and designed by the religious right to scare women from the difficult legal and medical issues of their own pregnancy. If you are pushing a right wing political agenda rather than health I respectfully will unlike your blog.

Signed,
Concerned Woman

http://www.chrisbeatcancer.com Chris Wark

Hi Susan, I was not aware that the Chinese scientists who conducted this research were religious republicans. Do you know them? Please share your sources for this important revelation.

Also I would like to know the religious and political affiliations for the authors of the 72 other studies I referenced in my post. That way we can thoroughly discredit them. Can you find that for me as well? They’re probably all on facebook. LOL! Thanks!

Matt

Whether or not it is a woman’s right to have an induced abortion has no bearing on whether or not it can contribute to breast cancer.

Look up: “appeal to consequence”. Its a logical fallacy.

Barbara

He cited the scientific article that appeared in a peer-reviewed journal! Chris, please continue to share important medical breakthroughs like this one, this is totally in-line with a cancer blog!

Crystal

Good Golly “concerned woman” its simply stating facts and documented studies… your “right wing” propaganda is what keeps information like this from young women who need and deserve to know! I guess ‘ignorance is bliss’ for some, but I thank Chris for this article and his willingness to take the time to share it.

Barbara

EXCELLENT article, thank you for sharing this. Taking the life of a human should never be anyone’s “choice” or decision. It’s not scientifically debated that abortion ends a life. As a female, a feminist, a progressive, and all of the things not stereo-typically associated with pro-life people, I am for defending life in all forms.

http://www.chrisbeatcancer.com Chris Wark

Thank you Barbara!

Valerie

Totally agree Barbara. And thank you Chris for sharing these important research studies.

Jenni

Woah, what an interesting article! I think we all know that almost *everything* causes cancer, so it’s not alarming to me that there is a connection here.

Personally, I think it is the stress related to an induced abortion (in China’s case) that would produce cancerous cells that become problematic down the road.

As always, thanks for posting good info, Chris.

http://www.chrisbeatcancer.com Chris Wark

Absolutely Jenni. Catastrophic emotional trauma, guilt and depression are very real factors for many women after abortions. These emotions lead to chronic stress and immunosuppression, which is a precursor to cancer.

Rose

Hi Chris,
I read the article, and understand the the basic premise that full-term pregnancies are more protective against breast cancer than “aborted” pregnancies. However, I am wondering if there has been any attempt to look at spontaneous abortions, ie. miscarriages in the same way. I am 47 and just finished treatment for Stage 3 breast cancer. I have been pregnant 8 times in my life, from age 21 to 38. Two resulted in first term miscarriages, and two resulted in second term miscarriages. I have 4 children. I have had no planned abortions, but I am making no judgment about abortion here. I am simply pointing out that I have had the benefit of several protective factors for breast cancer, such as an early in life baby, breastfeeding for several years, healthy weight, veggie-liker, etc. However, this article leads me to think that my miscarriages may have contributed to vulnerability to breast cancer, or at least made a dent in my protective factors. Just a (long) thought. Thanks for all that you do!

jeanne

Rose, I had the same thoughts. Although it is very believable that abortion would contribute to cancer in women due to the unnatural interruption of a natural process (complete understatement) I was wondering about miscarriage as well. Although it is a complete natural occurrence that the body does itself for lack of information for the cells to continue to divide and form and/or something is wrong with the uterus, egg maturity, etc. It is not a forced procedure. My miscarriage wasn’t anything I did but something I could not stop and happened anyway. I am so sorry you have gone through all this. Bless you.

http://wwwadifferentway-rebecca.blogspot.com/ Rebecca Cody

Rose,

I, too, wondered if they have done research on spontaneous abortions, so thanks for bringing this up.

Also, I’m sorry you went through so many miscarriages. That must have been emotionally wrenching.

Many women with the MTHFR genetic polymorphism have great difficulty carrying pregnancies through to term, or even getting pregnant. Since having this genetic defect is quite common (70% of Americans have one or two genes)you should be tested to see if you have the problem. There is a nutritional work-around to help methylate folate, which is required for normal detoxification.

Not being able to detox well could also have contributed to your breast cancer. I’m rather sure it contributed to – or caused – mine.

MM

Thanks for bringing this up, Rose. I wish Chris had responded. It’s the first thing that came to my mind as well. Miscarriage meets the same criteria here as induced abortion. I’ve had 6 term pregnancies mostly in my 20’s. But I have had 3 miscarriages in a row. And two I had to have a D&C because my body was not miscarrying on it’s own over a month after our baby died. Do I need to also worry that my much grieved losses are just as on par with induced abortion and breast cancer risks? Because nothing in this article would cause me to think otherwise. :/

http://www.thegreenshows.com Zyxomma

I think it’s far more likely that increasing toxins in the air, water, soil, and diet of Chinese women over the last few decades are contributing to the rise in breast cancer. Health and peace.

MM

That’s not very likely or logical. If that was the case then these women who had abortions wouldn’t have had the increase rate of breast cancer. It’s not like the air, water, soil and diet would affect women who had had abortions differently than those who didn’t.

http://JudyK Judy Kirkpatrick

The incidence of Breast Cancer (and any kind of cancer)for Chinese women also increases when/if they decide to adopt the S.A.D. (Standard American Diet).

Matthew

Chris…Thank you for “outing” the truth about another issue that needs to be outed!!…Why do do many people who claim that the truth is always right-wing propaganda??….Abortion kills everyone involved…the “choice” crowd..crying “wolf”….why are the anti-religious left so ignorant and bigoted to the truth…oy vey!!

http://wwwadifferentway-rebecca.blogspot.com/ Rebecca Cody

Matthew,

I doubt many women choose abortion because they want one. But perhaps other women understand better what it is in this world to be carrying the child of a rape or incest or simply for a woman to be carrying a child she knows she cannot support well at all, and will perhaps have no help with.

Joanne

Thanks for publishing this. I assumed there would be people claiming the article is biased, but I’ve believed for a long time that abortion and breast cancer are related.

It appears to be at least one reason why breast cancer has risen so dramatically in the last few decades.

Yet another good reason to be pro life.

Debbie

Hi Chris,

I am constantly amazed at how our lifestyle choices do effect our health down the road. Thank you for having the courage to post this article. Good on you!

Hugs and Blessings, and a Merry Christmas too!

Vicki

There is something so WRONG with this, it’s hard for me to describe. Don’t women have enough guilt associated with abortion? I think being pregnant is a very complex thing. Our bodies go through so much during and after. But to draw a correlation with aborting and cancer, just makes no sense to me. I understand the validity of research, but I bet’cha their are variables involved that aren’t being discussed. I did have an induced misscarraige using Black cohosh & meditation because I wan’t ready to be a responsible parent. I would love to have an answer to why I had cancer, but I don’t think this is it.

jeanne

I’m very very sorry you have experienced all this. I’m trying to stick up for Chris because he tends to handle things well himself, but all he is stating are statics that scientists have found. A correlation of actions with reactions. It is worth looking at seriously. You have been through a crisis and adding guilt is tough but it happens. We can’t change our past but we can do something about our future.

jeanne

I meant I’m NOT trying to stick up for Chris.

Vicki

I had a good talk with a friend today who reminded me that if something upsets us there is usually some healing to do. I appreciate Chris opening up this forum to discuss the issue. Acknowledgement of the trauma that women those women must be going through on an energetic level is what’s missing FOR ME. Not having a choice but having to deal with the effects on the body, I suspect or hypothesize had something to do with it.. I had a choice, so I am at peace with what I did. Thanks Jeanie for your concern.

Stephanie

What an interesting article. Just one more reason for me to totally disagree with abortion except for serious medical reasons. Sorry that some people responded so defensively to this article, but I think they probably sacrificed a child or two of their own to Molech. Oh the insanity of guilt and cultish “liberalism.” What about the baby’s choice? I will definitely remember this next time a girlfriend is thinking about abortion. This is a serious issue that needs to come to light. I agree that there are many more reasons for the increase in breast cancer, but all potential causes need to be taken seriously. The establishment will spend all their effort on “walking for the cure” while never once seriously considering the root cause in a disgusting effort to take more of your money in addition to the insane costs of chemotherapy, radiation, and surgery. Thanks for everything you do Chris!

Rachel

Thank you for sharing this information even though it is hard to hear… most things worth hearing don’t seem to be very easy.

As a woman concerned with woman’s rights and protection here and abroad and angry at men who treat us as if we were to be used and cast aside historically and all to often in the present age, I wonder if it is entirely possible to understand the reality of those women who have been physically forced by law to have an abortion in China or in India to have your husband or his family decide for you what happens to your body and when it is a time for you to have children or abort. These are not problems I have ever faced and while there are other problems of equal importance in the world or protecting woman’s rights; I think facts like these give power to a woman. If we turn a blind eye to truth we are imprisoning ourselves.

Thank you!

Sue

The discussion here beautifully illustrates “confirmation bias,” in which people tend to favor information that confirms their beliefs. Based on the comments so far, I suspect very few of us have read the study, or have any idea of the quality of the study (being published does not make it true). I am looking forward to reading discussions of this in reputable news and science websites. In the meantime, there is a lot of good background here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abortion–breast_cancer_hypothesis

Jessica

Chris,

Thank you being brave and sharing this information. After reading over all the comments it is amazing how many people don’t want to see the truth and blame it on lies from political parties and/or religion.

The fact is that having an abortion does increase woman’s chances of breast but because plan parenthood makes so much money on each abortion they don’t want these facts coming out.

The fact is that birth control medicines do increase a woman’s chance of getting breast cancer but what drug company wants the truth coming about about that when they are making millions on these drugs!!??? They don’t care about the health and well being of woman, they are drug COMPANY trying to make big profits!

Keep up speaking the truth!

AZ girl

Thanks for sharing this. I realize that you are not a doctor and that you are simply restating medical studies, but I have some questions about this. Your article only addresses the issue of induced abortion and not spontaneous abortion, i.e. miscarriage. The article states that estrogen increases by 2,000% by the end of the first trimester. Another interesting fact is that by the end of the first trimester, or a couple of weeks before, HCG levels are at the highest of the entire pregnancy. When a pregnancy terminates at this point it is very difficult for a woman as hormones are extremely out of whack. I have had 8 pregnancies and have given birth to 3 living children. My five miscarriages were all first trimester losses. I guess my question is what is the medical difference for correlation to breast cancer between induced abortion and spontaneous? Was spontaneous abortion studied also? If the simple facts boil down to the huge amount of hormones raging through the body at the end of the 1st trimester, then it would seem irrelevant to me if the loss were induced or spontaneous. Not that I am advocating abortion, I am absolutely against it. But this article has raised some serious questions about whether or not I would be at higher risk for breast cancer due to my pregnancy losses. Particularly because I also have a history of breast cancer on my maternal side. Do you have any thoughts on this?

http://www.silverlakesound.com Gina

Chris, I am glad you shared this article. This isn’t a pro-life vs. pro-choice issue– this is an issue where medical choices are being FORCED on people, and entire cultures victimized by their government. If we can use the internet/media to bring a voice to injustice then things can happen. Heck, awareness gets people praying if nothing else!

This is just as in just as children in schools where I live being given the HPV vaccine without parent knowledge or approval. We dont know what the effects of these things to to our bodies and ANY medical treatment (abortion included) is NOT for the government to mandate. I am not surprised at the link to cancer, and maybe some of these studies will be the “squeeky wheel” needed to bring attention to the issues.

thanks again for posting this.

http://the-dame.com The Dame Intl

I believe illness is psychosomatic so my thinking on this is that these women develop breast cancer because of a feeling of guilt or shame in not being able to provide for the baby that once was. My mom used to suffer a lot of breast pain for no reason until I told her that it could be because of her guilt about not being able to provide for me what she thought she should. Ever since she had that realisation, she has never again had breast pain. Just a thought.

Janie

Thank you, Chris for publishing this. I can’t imagine what sort of ignorance would cause a woman to put good science aside for the sake of so called women’s rights. Isn’t it our right to have access to truthful science and medicine, even if the truth is in opposition to a political belief? Let’s not cut off our noses to spite our faces. If I had known about the cancer risk that alone would have stopped me many years ago. You can heal from the emotional trauma, but now I sit daily knowing I dramatically increased my risk. I’ve known this now for years but it’s not publicized. The pink ribbon people especially refuse to acknowledge this risk, also for political reasons. How many women are they keeping the dark and putting at risk for political agenda?

Maegan

I would like to see more on this link.. Also I have to add- if carrying a full term pregnancy is the factor in decreased risk of breast cancer (which I have read, and also that breast-feeding is part of that as well), then I have to ask, wouldn’t this increase in risk be the same for miscarriages? They are spontaneous abortions, but abortions none the less. Like I said, I am intrigued but think there needs to be much more research done.. All non-bias of course. Thanks for sharing, Chris! Love your blog.

Debra

This study and others like it have been discredited . You really should have done some research BEFORE putting it on your blog . I have been reading your blog for several month’s but, know I wonder how much content here is false. You have lost all credibly with me.

Hi there!

My name is Chris Wark.
I was diagnosed with stage 3 colon cancer in 2003, at 26 years old.
I had surgery, but refused chemo.
Instead I used nutrition and natural therapies to heal myself.
By the grace of God, I'm alive and kicking, and cancer-free!

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